A recent blog by IEA Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz, which argues that Brexit wasn’t worth it, primarily because of its impact on Britain’s political culture and climate of ideas, has been featured in Money Week.

The piece said:

“Free-market liberals were divided over Brexit, says Kristian Niemietz. Those in favour looked forward to a day when Britain was free of the EU’s centralising tendencies, protectionism and corporatism. Sceptics argued Britain’s ‘home -grown statism would be every bit as bad as anything the EU could come up with’, and Brexit would just make it harder to trade with our neighbours. The Brexit- sceptics have probably won the day. But the main reason Brexit has hurt free-market liberalism is not policy but that it has radically changed the ‘debate culture and climate of opinion’ – for the worse. One of the main social consequences of the Brexit vote has been the radicalisation of ‘The Sensibles’, a political tribe that bases its politics on ‘whatever is considered respectable, reasonable, grown up and nuanced’.”

Read the full piece in Money Week (05/07/2024, p.17).

Read Kristian’s full piece Brexit wasn’t worth it on the IEA Blog.